In his April 4, 1999, Letter to Artists, Pope Saint John Paul II said this in regards to sacred art,
“Beauty, like truth, brings joy to the human heart and is that precious fruit which resists the erosion of time, which unites generations and enables them to be one in admiration!” In this spirit of profound respect for beauty, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium recalled the historic friendliness of the Church towards art and, referring more specifically to sacred art, the “summit” of religious art, did not hesitate to consider artists as having “a noble ministry” when their works reflect in some way the infinite beauty of God and raise people’s minds to him.”
This quote mirrors perfectly what I experienced yesterday during my first visit to The Sacred Art Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. I can honestly tell you that sacred art, as John Paul II speaks of it, is very much alive and well in this inspiring and flourishing gallery. I had heard many wonderful things from friends about this place, but was not expecting to experience what I did with my own mind and heart. Two of the pieces were so moving, that I was nearly brought to tears just looking at them. It’s transcendent – like walking into a beautiful ancient basilica – you forget that you are in the middle of downtown Scottsdale.
In a world filled with waves of relativistic thought and art, The Sacred Art Gallery is answering the call, in their own way, of the Council Fathers of the Second Vatican Council and the words of Pope St. John Paul II by allowing a space to exist where sacred art can be viewed, commissioned, and bought by the individual person. Because sacred art like this is often not seen in secular galleries, and Phoenix doesn’t have a museum with such art, this charming gallery is filling the void for those who are seeking goodness, beauty, and truth through the art that has spanned the centuries in the Catholic Christian world.
With the rise of more beautiful churches being built again, there is going to be a need for those churches to be filled with beautiful art. I can think of no better place to assist in this new endeavor, this new Renaissance, than The Sacred Art Gallery. If you have the means of supporting your diocese or parish by seeking a commissioned piece, I would encourage you to reach out to the galleries page for Commissions. If you want to assist in a project being overseen by the gallery, here is their Patron page.
Not only does The Sacred Art Gallery display sacred pieces, but also if you are local to the Phoenix Metropolitan area or spending an extended period of time in the area (when it doesn’t feel like the surface of the Sun), they offer classes and workshops, most notably an Icon Writing Workshop.
A part from the beautiful sacred art experienced yesterday, I was blessed and glad to visit the gallery for the first with a friend. I had told this person about the gallery months ago knowing their love and study for art, as well as their instruction of the subject, but had never visited myself. It was good to have my friend there with me because they were very helpful in allowing me to see things through their eyes and expertise.
I’m also grateful for the guidance from Grace Minton Rivera, one of the art consultants at The Sacred Art Gallery. You can see her passion for the sacred art hanging all around her because each time she talked about a piece her eyes lit up and it was as if she was talking about it for the first time.
To conclude, I leave you with the words of Grace after asking her – what the response has been from people passing by or walking into the gallery. She said,
“So this is really just a spectacular place because of what happens when people step into the gallery. Sometimes someone will walk through the door, take a look around and say “Huh! So this is like, a church place.” And then they’ll turn around and walk straight back out the door. Others will come into the gallery and walk around the entire thing, looking at every piece of art and expressing their negativity for all of the pieces. They will stand in front of a sculpture of Mary in audible disgust. Nevertheless, they continue on through the entire place.
But there are times when something really amazing will happen. I’ll watch someone walk through the door and it’s like they automatically just shed a layer off of themselves. Almost like that feeling that you get when you walk into your house or your church. It’s a visible feeling that you see on these people, the feeling of being at home. That layer that you keep on yourself when you go along your way in the world to protect yourself kind of comes off when you go into a place and feel like you’re at home. It’s so beautiful to see because this gallery is really like a home for us all. The imagery that you experience in the paintings and the sculptures are familiar. They depict the stories of our faith and they visually connect us to our heavenly family.
When people walk through the door and are able to shed that layer it reminds me of the universality of our faith and the reason why we’re here, in this gallery, in the middle of Scottsdale. This gallery is a home. It doesn’t just belong to the owners and it’s not just a place where we hang art. The Sacred Art Gallery belongs to Catholics and Christians. It’s a place where you can walk in and shed that layer, and connect with something truly beautiful.”
I encourage you to share this article with your family and friends, because beauty such as this must be experienced, shared and reflected by us all.
Note: Images reproduced with the authorization of the Sacred Art Gallery.
